Gorge hook

[punkrockcaveman]

I've been meaning to have a go at carving a few of these up to try at the coast, they ended up a bit rough but they are super fiddly. I'd imagine picking the right size is an absolute fine art, especially for big fish. I can see the small one landing me a few flatfish though.



Anyone else have experience with them? I seem to recall Ol Ray using them in an estuary for flounder on a set line.

 

[Mesquite]

Anyone else have experience with them? I seem to recall Ol Ray using them in an estuary for flounder on a set line.

I thought that was done with hawthorn thorn woven into a leader.

Nicely carved btw

 

[MartiniDave]

I seem to think that without "special permission", or in a dire emergency, they are illegal to use.
I may be wrong, but best to check first.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

I thought that was done with hawthorn thorn woven into a leader.

Nicely carved btw

Thanks. I think your right actually! Jogged my memory!

 

[punkrockcaveman]

I seem to think that without "special permission", or in a dire emergency, they are illegal to use.
I may be wrong, but best to check first.

It's a very good point that I'll be giving a really good check of. I'm pretty sure they are illegal in freshwater scenario's, I seem to remember seeing something somewhere about circle hooks being illegal in freshwater too. I'll fo some digging and if I get anything concrete I'll put links up in this thread.

I certainly wouldn't be planning on using it in any catch and release situation.

 

[Mesquite]

 

[punkrockcaveman]

What a brilliant clip. Seeing fish caught on natural cordage and thorns is timeless.

 

[Spirit fish]

I've been meaning to have a go at carving a few of these up to try at the coast, they ended up a bit rough but they are super fiddly. I'd imagine picking the right size is an absolute fine art, especially for big fish. I can see the small one landing me a few flatfish though.

View attachment 68059

Anyone else have experience with them? I seem to recall Ol Ray using them in an estuary for flounder on a set line.

Big ones are good for trout i used use them mostly for eels though cos eels use swallow my ******* metal hooks all time

 

[forrestdweller]

i used one in 2007 in New Zealand to catch an eel -- it was made from a bone splinter and tied to modern fishing line, baited with a worm and left overnight in the river (with a swivel of course as eels tend to twist around and otherwise break the line which i learned the hard way). this particular eel became eel pie but most of them i smoked when possible...

 

[Robson Valley]

How do they work? I've heard the name but no idea how you catch a fish with it.
Line in the middle? Bait? It turns sideways when swallowed? Only some species of fish that can feed like this?

 

[punkrockcaveman]

How do they work? I've heard the name but no idea how you catch a fish with it.
Line in the middle? Bait? It turns sideways when swallowed? Only some species of fish that can feed like this?

That's it exactly. I get the feeling they are very size dependent, and probably only work well with certain baits

 

[CLEM]

As a little lad playing about I caught several small fish using believe it or just a cotton reel and thorns. Happy times, I very much enjoyed my boyhood.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Big ones are good for trout i used use them mostly for eels though cos eels use swallow my b*****d metal hooks all time

I think your problem is you are not using legitimate hooks.

How long are you waiting to set the hook that the eels swallow so many?

 

[Spirit fish]

I think your problem is you are not using legitimate hooks.

How long are you waiting to set the hook that the eels swallow so many?

That was when I was a kid I was catching them for the pot with my grandfather ,I don't do eel fishing now there's not many eels left so hooking them perfectly wasn't my agenda back then as long as I caught them

 

[huntersforge]

I carved up this set of gorge hooks , needle and case out of red deer antler many years ago.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

They are stunning. We're they hard to carve? The holes in the middle looks like they could have been a bit of a nightmare

 

[huntersforge]

They took quite a while to be fair as they’re fiddly to work with. The longest one is about 30mm and shortest 12mm.
Thanks
HF

 

[forrestdweller]

They took quite a while to be fair as they’re fiddly to work with. The longest one is about 30mm and shortest 12mm.
Thanks
HF

did you use modern tools or stone tools?!
(just curious, most of my bone/ antler projects were done with modern tools as it's faster...)

 

[huntersforge]

I made hooks 2 and 5 by rubbing down on a sandstone block which is very very slow and not kind to your fingertips, used sandpaper for the rest.
In hindsight I wished I had taken the time to do them all with stone tools.
HF